Method and apparatus for stemming tobacco



June 15 1926.

c. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO Filed June 11, 1925 7 Sheet s-Sheec 1 R m m w CAM/71f; l Roar/Fro June 15 1926. 1,588,613

C. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO Filed June 11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ORNEY June 15 1926.

c. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO Filed June 11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR I 67/44)?! 55,4. Wa s/m:

BY V lj c. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO June 15, 1926.

Filed June 11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 6244?; 55!. 77055? Jun 15, 1926.

1,588,613 C. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ,STEMMING TOBACCO Filed June 11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENIOR 1,588,613 c. L. ROBERTS Filed June 11,=1925 I v Sheets-Sheet e June 15 1926.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO ww WN &

C. L. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING TOBACCO June 15 1926.

1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 L IIIIIII'IIIIII'I'I,

Filed June 11 Patented June 15, 1926.

' UNITED STATES 1,588,613- PATENT orries.

CHARLES LEWIS nonnn'rs'or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, assienon To run AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, or new Yonien. Y., A CORPORATION ornnw JERSEY.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEMMING T OBACCO.

Application filed. June 11, 1925. Serial No. 36,297.

This invention is an improvement in methods and apparatus for stemming tobacco and more particularly in methods and apparatus designed to conserve as large a proportion of the leaf unbroken as possible.

One of the problems most difiicult of solution in stemming tobacco, is to thoroughly remove all of the large woody-portion of the stem, not suitable for utilization with the lamina, while leaving the portions of smaller size, which are entirely suitable for such use, and withouttoo great disintegration of the leaf. 3

In methods at present practiced, the lamina is stripped from the main stem while it is grasped in some portion of its length, to provide counter-resistance, or the leaf is subjected to the action of disintegrators which break it up, the lighter leaf portions being afterwards screened, or otherwise separated from the heavier stem portions.

The results attained by the former method are unsatisfactory, in thata relatively large proportion of the valuable lamina remains with the woody stem portion, and the separated lamina contains too great a proportion of the undesirable stem. The method moreover is slow and expensive requiring as it does, individual treatment of the leaves.

In both methods, the leaf is greatly mutilated and torn and in the latter method especially a relatively large amount of the leaf is converted into particles too small to be handled easily in all of the further processes to which the tobacco is subjected. As

for instance such particles are not easily flavorec, and hence not suitable for processes in which flavoring-is required.

A. relatively lar e proportion of the central stem, from one third toone half at the tip end of the leaf, is entirely suitable for all purposes, for which the leaf is to be used, and it is not necessary, or even desirable,

that this portion of the leaf be subjected to l the action of stemming mechanism, withthe consequent liability to mutilation of the lamina. v v

Oneof theprincipal-objects of the present invention is the provision of a method whereby a relatively lar ekproportion of the lamina with stem portions of asize which does not unfit them for use with the liiini-na,- is removed prion-to the "l'IlliZ'lfi'filOIliO'f theoper'atioii feel rcinovm'g' the steimthereby to retain such portion in its original unbroken cond1t-1on.

Another object isthe .provls ion' of anapparatus for carrying out the method, including means for effectually removing the undesired stem portions, and mechanisms for separating and removing from the leaves in an unbroken condition the tip portions which contain utilizabl e stem. v

Another object is the provision of means and mechanism of the character specified, adapted to operate upon the leaf in the hand, and with. a minimum bf manual manipulation. p a

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the method and the several steps thereof, alarm the construe tion and novel combination "er part sfu'lly described hereinafter, illustrated in the ac'-' companying drawings, and pointed out in the claims app'ended hereto, itbeing uiden stood that various changesin the form, proportion,-size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims nay be resorted to without departing from the Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section of one of'the disintegrators.ofthe first series.

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of other machines ofthe first series.

Figs. 6 and 11 aresections on the lines 66, and 11 m, of Fig. 2. I I Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the dust screening device,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of the last disintegrator. v

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 ofthe fiber fan. i a

In the present embodiment of; the invent-ion, the apparatus for carrying out the 'inr proved-method 'isjarranged on threefioors, indicated at A, l3, a11'd; C respects-si gle Pg. '1, although it'will be understood that this a1range n'ient1is a ,inatter of convenience. The stemming apparatus in the. present instance is uponthe intermediate "floor B, the receptacles tori-the leaf, stems and dust on is a longitudinal ver-tical section n; Ad

and the is the lower floor A, while the blending and tip separating mechanism is arranged on the third floor Cw The blending; mechanism comprises an endless belt or conveyor 1, which is supported at its ends by rollers 2, one of which is driven upon the floor 0, with the. various grades.

in separate piles, arranged in lines on opposite sides of the belt, tie piles beingusually cylindrical, just as the'tobacco copies from the hogshead. The tobacco is blended on the belt by one or more operators, each placing on the belt the proper proportion of tobacco from each grade'to produce the blend desired. The tobacco is in the hand shown, and it may be placed upon thebelt in bunches of hands if desired.

At the delivery end or the belt, n'icchanism is arranged for dividing the leaves into two portions, one of which contains all of the large woody stem portion which it is red to remove, while the other contains only finer stem portions, which. are utilizablc in.

' the usual processes to which thetobacco subj ect-ed.

The said inechanisn'i which is jtully shown and described in my co-pendinp; application Ser. No. 36,298 of even date herewith, includes a table 8 supported above the floor, and a plurality of endless belts 9 so arranged that the upper runs of the belts travel'upon the table top, side by side,but spaced apart from each other. The upper runs the belts travel in the same direction, and at the end remote from the blending mechanism, the beltsdeliver through openings in the table, into chutes 10 and 11, for the stem and tip portions respectively.

A pair of holding chains for the tobacco cooperates with each of the belts 9. The chains or" both pairs are supported by shafts l2 journaled transversely of the table, one

of which is driven in any suitable manner, and the chains are of a length such that there will be a relatively large amount of slack in the lower run or each. th lower runs cooperating with the belts 9.

The upper runs of the chains are supported by a guide or guides 13, and a pair of cooperating disk cutters 14, are arranged between the pairs, and between the shafts 12 for dividing the leaves into two port-ions, as they are carried past the cutters by the belts and chains. The cutter l s .13), 3 liQ Cl Of the lapping portions.

ments is at about the level of the upper faces of the belts. The cutters areidrlven trom the'primemover, by a belt 1 ,ai1d they are p geared together as indicated at An operator standing at the point- X places the hands as they are delivered fro n the upper run of the belt 1, on the upper runs of the belts 9,;andit will be noticed that the belts 9 are extended beyond the chains at the inlet end of the cutting mechanism. As the hands still unbound are carried past the cutters, the leaves are separated into two portions. The hands are arranged with the butts toward the operator, and with the tips of the hands in approximate alinement, so that the cut off tips of the leaves are of approximately the same length. The butt ends are delivered into the chute 10, while the tip ends are delivered into the chute 11. 7

The'tip ends are suitable for, further processing, such for instance as flavoring,

L V in tue manner set 101th in my cwpcndmg integrating action, to break up the stem per tions, and remove the lamina from the stem The lamina recovered in the process (rt-disintegration is utilized in the manner seti orth in the-said last named application, the larger portions being flavored in the usualmanner,while the snialler portions in the dry state are agglomerated with the tip or larger portions. V

Preferably a plural'ty of individual. disintegrators, which may be of the cylinder and concave type, are arranged in series. or cascade. each delivering to the succeeding.

The butt portions of the hands above men- 7 tioned, are led into the first disintegrator, and the last usually delivers to a preceding.

The type of disintegrator, the relative arrangement of the several pieces 01 the apn atus, as also the layout of the plan, is a matter of convenience, and while that to be described is a convenient arrangement, including disintegrators oli' an acceptedtype, it is illustrative only. In the present arrangement, the operation is cyclic, each disintegrator including mechanism for removing from the cycle, leaf particles above aselected weight, and in the cycle, preferably at the last disintegrator, there is a. gravity discharge, the stem portions.

In the present instance, the disintegrators are five in number, indicated at D, E, F, G, and H, respectively, although it Will be understood that the number will be more or less, as may be found advisable. All of the disintegrators are of the cylinder and con cave type, but preferably the relative density of thevspacing oi the teeth of the cylinder and'conc'ave increases from the first disint grator to l e s2 lilzscept for bl 'e Spec ers directly into the hopperextension of the disintegrator D. Thebottom of the hopper is formed into a concave 22' having teeth 23, which cooperate Withsimilar teeth 24,. on a cylinder 25, journaled .co-axially with the concave. Each cylinder has in connection therewith fast and loose pulleys 26, for con nection with a suitable prime mover, and other pulleys '27 and'28 on the opposite side of the casing from the pulleys 26. Belts 29 and 30 connect the pulleys 27 and 28 with pulleys 3-1 and 32 respectively, the former on the shaft33 or a roller 34, and the latter on the shaft 35 ofa fan or blower 36. The fan'36 is mounted in the upper part of the casing, andtheroller 84 is one of a pair, the

other indicated at 37. v The axes of the rollers are in the same plane, and each is ournal'ed in an extension of the casing, the extensionsindicated at 38' and 39. Ascreen -'40 in the form of an endless belt is supported by the rollers, and the runs Ofilihe belt extend"transversely of the casing, betw'eenthe 'fan and the-cylinder. vPairs of horizontal guides 41 are provided for the respective runs, and the belt forms'a moving screen. The leaf particles above a selected Weight are driven by the blast of-the fan against the screen, which strains the par.-

ticles from the blast, and delivers them at the rearofth'e casing, the casing having a delivery opening just below the roller 34', it being understood, that the lower run of the belt moves reawardly.

The leaf particles are swept from the belt as it passes up around the roller 34 by a rotary brush42, driven by contact with the belt. A spring pressed roller 43 cooperates with the roller 34,'and thelower run of the screen belt passes between the rollers 34 and43; g

All ol' the leaf particles above a selected Weight are delivered by the rollers 3443,

onto a conveyorto "be described, While those below this weight pass over a deflecting board 48 ,ontoan endless conveyor-49, which delivers such particles to a: succeeding disintegrator; The belt is-supported-by a roller 50, journaled below' thedeflecting board 48, and a roller 51 journaled on the hopper of the succeeding disintegrator. The i upper run of the belt 49.n1ov'es over a guide or grain board 52, which extends betwe'en the rollers 56 andb l, and cooperates with the g a n bqe fi ii t -P d$ 'a PP. T pe bottom, forthe disintegrator. Guardlpla'tes Pl ce ,at;.. pl i isides t e '52 to prevent displacement of the The leafparticle's deliveredbetween the rollers remote from the disintegrators are driven by the belts 59 from a-suitable prime mover. I V

Each of the fans 36 is journa-led in a suitable fan casing 60 in the upper-part of the casing 20. Each casing 60 has ail-axial inlet, Which may be regulated as to capacity by a damper 62, and the tangential outlet of each fan communicates by a conduit with a dust collector, the'disintegrator D by means of a conduit 66 With a collector 67, and the 'disintegrators E, F. and G with a collector 68, by means of similar conduits 69] In these collectors 67 and 68, the particles of tobacco settle, and are delivered through chutes '71 and 72' to a sand screen and riddledevice, to be described, While the dust passes oil through fines The violence of the blast, passing upward through each screen40 is regulated by means of gates or louvers 73 in aninclined partition 74 below the screen. The picking belt 57 is supported 'by rollers 75- journaled in suitable supports 76, one roller being adjacent to the first clisintegrator, and the other 'near the lastofthefirst series, that is the disintegrator This belt moves toward the left of-Fig. 2, and delivers the leaf par- 7 ticl'es to other mechanism to be described."

The last disintegrator in the present in stance is of the Cardwell type, having a plurality of assemblages of cylinder and concave, and a. riddling device in connection with the screening mechanism. The disin 'tegra-tor includes a suitable casing 77 into one end of which the conveyor 49 of the thrasher or disintegrator G delivers. delivered tobacco passes down over a deflecting board 7 8, toth'e first cylinder-concave assemblage, composed ofthe cylinder 79 and the concave 80. The second assemblage comprises a cylinder 81 and a concave'82, arranged in series With the first assemblage. The concaves are arranged below and in front of the cylinders, and cover less than degreeso-f the surface thereof. A perforate plate or screen '85 is arranged between the concaves 8082, over which the tobacco passes from'the, first assemblage to the second, and those particles which are small enough pass through the openingsof the p y The'cylinders are journaledin the Walls oftheca'sing, and each is provided Witha pulley"86 and 87 respectively;connected 'by The 1 cylinder 7 9, with a pulley on a cam shaft 9 1 to be described.

The riddling device includesa box frame on the cam. Three perforate screens 9-9, 100,

and 101 are arranged transversely of the box frame in substantial parallelism. The mesh ve y a d later ly tr of the screens decreases from the upper to r the lower, and the'tobacco from'the cylinder and concave assemblages delivers onto the upper screen 99. A bridge 102 is-arranged transversely the screen, at the delivery point ofthe assemblage 8182. The tobacco from the assemblage 8182 delivers onto the bridge, and over the lower edge thereof, while that from the assemblage 7 98O .delivers beneath the bridge. H I

The. disintegrated tobacco leaves move rearwardly over the screen 99, and overflow the lower end into a trough 10a. Those particles which pass through the meshes of screen 99, gradually travel to the rear end of the screen 100, and'discharge through an opening 105 into the trough 104. The trough 10% moves with the box frame, and the jarring movement imparted to the leaves,

tends to separate the lighter from the heavier portions by gravity. The heavier portions seek the bottom of the trough, while the lighter overflow the rear wall thereof into an air blast, which removes those particles of a selected buoyancy from the cycle. Those particles of stem devoid of lamina are dis charged by gravity, the disintegrator having a gravity discharge for this purpose. 7

A fan or blower assemblage indicated generally at- 106 provides the air blast, and the tangential outlet of the fan indicated at 107 inclines I upwardly and rearwardly. The front wall of the outlet has an opening through which the trough 104 delivers, and the rear wall a gravity discharge 109. The

discharge 109 delivers into the hopper top.

of a chute 111, extending through the floor B and delivering to'a suitable receptacle 119- on the floor A. The fan of the assemblage is driven by a belt 113, which connects pulleys ll l on the cam shaft 9 1, and 115 on the fan shaft.

j Particles of tobacco small enough to pass through the meshes of the screen 100, and those larger than the meshes of screen 101 are delivered by a spout'llfi extending downre the has frame is an endless conveyor to be described. Those particles passing through the screen 101 are delivered through a conduit 117, into a dust receptacle 113011 the floor A. V y

' The fan assemblage 106 has the usual dam aer mechanism 119' and the casin 77 The-outlet 107 of'the fan assemblage 106 has in connection therewith a separator box 108. The outlet arches through, the sepalator box as shown. The arrangement is such that the leaf portions pass into and out; of the separator box, in their travel through the outlet 107. The upper wall of the arch is formed by a perforate plate 128, and the separator box communicates'at its top with the air compressor 1241 through the; conduit 123 before 'mentioned. The separator box has a door 129 for permitting access thereto, and'the discharge outlet 107 delivers onto a conveyor, which returns the leaf portions intothe cycle, delivering them to the next to the last disintegrator of the first series.

The said conveyor includes an endless belt or apron 131 supported at its endsby rollers 132. One of these rollers is adjustable as indicated at 133 in Fig. 8, and the other is connected by a belt 13 1 with the prime mover. The outletv 107 delivers through an extension 135, into a box casing 136, enclosing the upper run of the conveyor, and at its forward end, the upper run delivers into a hopper 137, having a chute 133 discharging into the hopper of disintegrator F. It will be noticed referring to Fig. 8 par ticularly, that the forward portion of the belt 131 is substantially horizontal, while the rear portion is inclined. Rollers 141 are provided for changing the direction of the travel of the belt. J

The particles of tobacco delivered bythe spout 116, fallinto the buckets 1 18 of an endless belt 1415. This belt is supported by rollers 146-17. The former is supported below the discharge end of thespout 116, and the latter is supported by the frame work of a fiber fan to be described. The conveyor 1415-1 18 is driven from the prime mover by a belt 149, and the conveyor is so arranged, that the particles of tobacco re ceived from the spout-116, are delivered to the fiber fan. 7 i

The fan shown more particularly 10 comprises a suitable supportingffraine 151, in which is mounted a vibrating screen 152. The screen is arranged transversely 9? a box. ram 15 rrated,- te salted..-

in Fig. 7

we n e longitudinally of the frame, and to. incline downwardly toward the front. Resilient links 154 sup ort theframe, each pivoted at one end to tlieboi: frame, and secured to the other to the frame 151, The conveyor 145 .148 delivers to a. feed table 155, which in turn delivers. to the screen near the 1113 per end thereof. I I

The screen is vibrated by means of a cam 156 on a cam shaft'157jjournaled at the rear end of the frame, and connected to the box frame by a link 159, and a follower 158. The

tobacco particles, which are too large to pass through the meshes ofthe screen, are fed down over the lower end thereof; and n into the blast frorna, suitable. fan 162 arranged in the fan casing 163 below the box" frame. e. angen i l. Outlet. of: he i as g QP' D nt chu e. 165, eading rom; the front end ofthe frame 151 to a collector c sing 56-.

Th 2 .1. alia e'sm 'ityid c'ha ee .6 diecharging through a chute 168' intoa suitable receptacle 169' on the floor A. The'fan casing has the usual damper 170, and a port is which the chutes 71 and 72" deliver, Figs. 6

and 7, includes-a suitable supporting frame 175, in which is mounted to vibrate and reciprocate an open box frame 176.

ranged transversely of the frame which inclines downwardly toward its rear end, The

frame is supported by resilient links 180 pivoted to the frame, and rigidly secured to the supporting frame. A cam 181 on a cam' shaft 182vibrates theboirframe through a link 18 l and a follower 183-. The shaft is rotatedby means of a belt 185 connecting with the primemover.

The screen 177 extends the full length of the box frame while the screens-178 and 179 stop short of the rear end, so that discharge space is provided atthis point. A trough 186 is arranged at'the rear end of the box frame, towhich the screens 178 and 179 deliver. 'lhescreen 1T7 delivers over'tlie rear end of the b0 frame, ontoia conveyor, in the form of'a belt41817, supported by rollers 188 and189l I V r v The roller 188'is arranged belowthe rear end ofthe sandscreen, While the roller 189 is arranged above the common picking belt Three perforate screens 117, 178, and 179 are ar 57 before mentioned, delivering to the belt. Justbeyond the disintegrator E; The conveyor is driven by a beltf1 90 from the prime mover. The particles of tobacco which are too large to passthrough screens 177., 178

and 179; are all delivered to the conveyor 187, and to the picking belt. The. trough 186 before mentioned also delivers to the conveyor, and only those particlesl small enough to pass through all the screens are discharged." Such particles are stem particles, and are delivered bya trough 191 into a suitable receptacle v192. The conveyor 187 has a channel shaped member 193 for its upper run, and theconveyors 541 before mentioned' are similarly provided. a

Inoperation, the tobaecoto be stemmed is arranged on each side of the blending belt, preferably as it comes from the hogshead An} attendant mixes I hands from the several. heaps in. a selected proportion on t eblnd ps be t. w i h. del e it th div ing; m h nism-1 An t atten a atthe point Xplaces the hands-as they come on the feed belts 9,; with the" tips of the hands in approximate alinenient. By the cutting mechanism the hands are divided intobutt and tip portions, and. the tip portions. are delivere d'through the chute 11 onto an endless carrier195, which moves transversely to'.'the belt 57', and to whichthe said belt 57"also delivers, Thus the tip portions which have notbeen subjected to the action or; the disintegrato'r, are mixed with the larger particles of laminafronrthe disintegrators The e dless; belt '195 is sup ported by ro-llers ltltl, and drivenby a belt l9i 'fii m h P iIl I Q Q 7-i The is giators or thrashers a'ct'to break upgthe aves, and t sep rat he m'i rom th heavier I stem'f'portioris. of the particles offtobacco capable v of being lifted by; the air blast of a disintegrato-r are removed there from, ang'l delivered; onto thebelt 57. Those too heavy tojbelifted'by the blast are passed onto the succeeding disinjteg rator. A part ofthose discharged from the last disintegrator are returned into the circulatiom at a pointwhere the quantity returne'd is not greater than that which has been removed The leaf particles held in the cycle until al'l'fpf the lamina is 'reniovedfroin the stem portions, so that -thei ste n portions may be discharged througl'i the appropr ate outlets.

It will'beevident that. by arranging'tho disintegrators in cascade; the leaf 'laminais subjected to a minin iuin of mutilation. Only those portihns' which separate; from the stem with difficulty are s ubjectedto the action" of more than one disintegrator. The

portions hichare easily separated are delivered from the first, andbnly the -most stubborn pass through all of the disinte- There is a continuous separation of lam-.

the sand screen and riddle.

taining the stems of a size utilizable in the further processing of the leaf.

2. A step in the method of stemming tobacco, which consists in cutting the leaves transversely in two portions, one of which contains all of the central stem tov be removed. r

3. The method of stemming tobacco, which consists inremoving'the tip portions of the leaves, subjecting the remaining portion of the leaves to a disintegrating or thrashing operationto separate the leaf portions from the stem portions, and wm'now- ;ing and screening the leaf portions from the stem portions.

l. The method of stemming tobacco, which consistsin dividing the leaves transversely into two portions, one of which contains all of the central stem to'be removed,

subjecting the last nainedportions to the action of disintegrators or thrashers to separate the leaf portions from the stem portions, winnowing and screening the leaf portions, from the stem portions, and adding the leafportions tothe cut off tips.

' 5. The method of stemming tobacco,

'which corn-prises removing the tip portions .of the leaves with all of the central stem to be retained with. the lamina, subjecting the remaining portions of the leaves to asuccession of disintegrating operations to separate the lighter leaf from theheavier stem particles, winnowing out the lighter particles between successive operations and discharging heavier particles by gravity at regular intervalsafter a selected number of operations.

6..The method of stemming tobacco, which comprises removing the tipportions of the leaves with all of the central stem to be, retained with the laminae, subjecting the remaining portions of the leaves to a succession of disintegrating operations to eparate the lighter leaf from the? heavier stem particles, winnowing out the'lighter particles between successive operations and discharging heavier particles by gravity after the succession of operations, and subjecting the remaining portions of the leaves to a succession of alternating disintegrating and screening operations.

7. The method 'of stemming tobacco, which comprises removing the tip portions of the leaves with all of the central stem to be retained with the laminae, subjecting the remaini g portions of the leaves to a succession of V the lighter leaf from the heavier stem particles while retaining all of the leaves in the succession except the lighter particles, screening the tobacco afterit has passed the disintegrators, and returning the remainder of the leaves to the succession.

8. Tobacco stemming apparatus, comprising a plurality of disintegrators for breaking the laminae from the stems, means to divide the leaves into two portions, one containing allgof the central stem to be removed, means for conveying the last named portions to the first of the disintegrators, means for feeding the. leaves from each disintegrator to the succeeding disintegrator, means in'combination with each disintegrator for removing the lighter particles, a common means for receiving such lighter n disintegrating operations to separate particles, and means for conducting the divided leaf tips to the common receiving means. 7 V

9. Tobacco stemming apparatus, compris ing a plurality of disintegrators forbrealring the laminae from the stems, means to raining all of the central moved, means for conveying the last named portions to the first of the disintegrators, means for feeding the leaves from each disintegrator to the succeeding disintcgrator, means in combination with each disintegrator for removing the lighter particles, a commonmeans for receiving such lighter particles, a gravity discharge for the stem particles, means to deliver the remaining portions of the leaves from the last disin- 'tegrator'to a preceding disintegrator, and means for conducting the leaf tips to the common receiving means.

divide the leaves into tw o portions, one constem 1 to be re- 1 10. Tobacco stemming apparatus, including a plurality of mechanisms for disintegrating the leaf into lamina and heavier stem portions and for removing the stem per-ions, a common means receiving the lamina from all of the disintegrating mechanisms, and mechanism to divide the leaves transversely into portions, one containing all of the central stem to be removed, the other containlng all of the central stem, to

be used and for delivering said portions to the first disintegrating. means, and to the common receiving means respectively.

11. Tobacco stemmingapparatus, including a plurality of mechanisms for disintegrating the leaf into lamina and heavier stem portions and for removing the stem portions, a common means receiving the lamina from all of the disintegrating mechanisms, and mechanism to divide the leaves transversely into portions, one containing all of the central stem to be removed, the.

other containing all of the central stem. to

be used and for delivering said portions to the first disintegrating means, and to the common receiving means respectively, each disintegrating mechanism having screening means including an air blast.

12. In tobacco stemming apparatus, mechanism constructed to break up tobacco leaves including the stems, and to separate the lamina from the stem particles, means to constrain the leaves to pass in cycle through said mechanism, means interposed in the cycle for separately removing leaf lamina substantially free from stem particles and stem particles substantially free from leaf lamina, means to receive the leaf lamina, and mechanism for transversely dividing the leaves into stem and butt portions, and having means for delivering the butt portions to the disintegratingmechanism, and the tip portions to the receiving means.

Signed at Richmond in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia this eighth day of June A. D. 1925. V

CHARLES LEWVIS ROBERTS. 

